Trafficking in Persons, a crime where victims are exploited in various forms of slavery, is coming under a new scrutiny in Tonga. Ever since Tonga prosecuted its first Trafficking in Persons (TIP) case over a decade ago, there have been no further cases of TIP because there were no new trafficking investigations and victims were not identified, says Police Deputy Commissioner and Chief of Staff, Pelenatita Vaisuai. That situation is about to change. Interview by Katalina Siasau.
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Results for Pacific Islands
Wednesday 16 August 2023
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Tuesday 15 August 2023
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Scoring six tries, the 'Ikale Tahi happily won their second international test match against Canada, 36-12, in Nuku'alofa this afternoon. Sosefo Sakalia and Kyren Taumoefolau each scored two tries and Vaea Fifita and Sam Moli one each for Tonga. Isaac Olson scored both tries for Canada. Peter Nelson kicked the conversion.
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Friday 11 August 2023
Suva, Fiji
The Pacific Islands are now at a cliff edge. As a region, as countries and as peoples, we face some of the hardest and cruellest choices. Business as usual, more of the same and incremental improvements will be the surest way to disaster for the whole of our region. As our communities, our region struggles, this is a time to ask some hard questions...Do we have what it takes to implement policies and decisions at the pace and speed at which this is needed? By Professor Biman Prasad (article from a public speech during this week's Forum Economic Ministers Meeting in Suva, Fiji).
Wednesday 9 August 2023
Sandy-Utah, USA
FROM OUR ARCHIVES: When the late George Tupou V surrendered the Executive Power to the Prime Minister in 2010, did it mean he wanted to remain only as a ceremonial and symbolic monarchy without any political power? Why did he appoint the Lords? Without a proper assessment of the answers to those two questions, the present leaders of the PTOA (Paati Temo Otumotu Anga’ofa) movement do injustice to the democratic and political reform that the late king had initiated. - Seni Penitani
Wednesday 9 August 2023
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A petition calling for reform of Tonga's electoral system so that the Prime Minister may be chosen by a popular vote (and not by the Members of Parliament in the House) has engaged the House yesterday 7 August and again today.
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Tuesday 8 August 2023
Suva, Fiji
Despite uncertainty about the outlook for inflation and interest rates in major economies and trading partners, developing Pacific economies are expected to grow in 2023 and 2024 due to a recovery in tourism, post-disaster rebuilding, and infrastructure construction, a World Bank report released today says. Fiji is expected to continue leading the Pacific's recovery from the pandemic. Robust growth is also projected for Palau, Samoa, Tuvalu, and Federated States of Micronesia. While in Tonga most households receive remittances from abroad.
Monday 7 August 2023
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Although Tonga's economy is rebounding strongly from a major double shock in early 2022, Tonga is confronting important challenges to long-term growth posed by sustained worker outflows and increasingly frequent natural disasters, says the International Monetary Fund.
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Monday 7 August 2023
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A total of 58 seismic events were recorded within Tonga’s region, in the month of July compared to 155 seismic events in June, the Tonga Geohazards team reported today.
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Friday 4 August 2023
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The 'Ikale Tahi will take on Manu Samoa tomorrow, 5 August at Apia Park, Samoa.
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Monday 31 July 2023
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
FIFA President Mr Gianni Infantino met Tonga's Prime Minister Hon. Hu'akavameiliku in Nuku'alofa today to discuss FIFA’s strategies in Tonga - including a new $8 million stadium project and training academies for Tongatapu and the outer islands.
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Friday 28 July 2023
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The Supreme Court of Tonga has ruled in favour of a civil claim brought by the Deputy Secretary of Foreign Affairs against the Public Service Commission, who unlawfully initiated serious disciplinary action against her. In his ruling the Lord Chief Justice Whitten KC. considered that there were many problems with the regulations - saying the wording in some regulations is "nonsensical". He also said the PSC was in breach of a requirement to appoint a CEO for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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Wednesday 26 July 2023
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
On a first visit to Tonga by a US cabinet member, today, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, took a few quiet minutes to lay a wreath at the seafront Cenotaph in Nuku'alofa, before he met with the Tongan Prime Minister and other officials at St George Government Building across the road. The War Memorial honours the Tongan fallen in two World Wars. In WWII there were more American troops stationed in Tongatapu than Tongans. During the morning, Secretary Blinken spoke about US perceptions of today's superpower rivalry in Tonga and the Pacific region, when he was answering questions at a media briefing.
Tuesday 25 July 2023
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The Chinese naval hospital ship Peace Ark will pay her third goodwill visit to Tonga on a humanitarian medical mission from 28 July to 4 August 2023, to provide week-long free medical treatment for people in Tonga.
Monday 24 July 2023
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Monitoring of land use through Earth observations and satellite imagery data, will help governments in the Pacific Islands better manage their limited resources. Tonga is hosting the first technical workshop on “Digital Earth Pacific Land Cover Assessment Skills Transfer” (DEP LCAST), organised by the SPC, commencing today, 24 July 2023 at the Tanoa Dateline Hotel in Nuku'alofa.
Monday 24 July 2023
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The Flying Fijians, decisively beat the ‘Ikale Tahi, 36-20 at the Lautoka Stadium, on 22 July 2023, in the second round of the Pacific Nations Cup.
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Friday 21 July 2023
Washington D.C., U.S.A
U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken will travel to Tonga, New Zealand, and Australia, July 24-29, the State Department announced last night. Secretary Blinken is the first Secretary of State to visit Tonga, and this is his third trip to a Pacific Island country, and his 12th trip to the Indo-Pacific region. In Tonga he will dedicate the new U.S. Embassy “and advance key discussions with our Tongan partners.”
Tuesday 18 July 2023
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Seventeen hundred years before the dawn of the Viking Age in Europe, the first Polynesians crossed the western flank of the Polynesian triangle to settle in Tonga. Thus began the final chapter in the human settlement of the globe. A newly released book, ‘The Birth of Polynesia: An Archaeological Journey Through the Kingdom of Tonga’, documents this story. The author David V. Burley, is currently visiting Tonga.
Saturday 15 July 2023
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
An El Niño alert for Tonga was issued by the Meteorology Department, on 14 July, as forecasts show there is a 70% chance of El Niño forming this year. The likely impacts on Tonga will include cooler nights, less rainfall over the next 6-12 months, and more tropical cyclones in the next cyclone season from 1 November 2023 to 30 April 2024.
Friday 14 July 2023
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A big exciting win for 'Ikale Tahi over Australia A, lifted the spirits of Tongan fans this afternoon at Teufaiva Stadium in Nuku'alofa, with the final score Tonga 27 Australia A 21.
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Friday 14 July 2023
Washington D.C., U.S.A
As critical talks on deeply-contested deep-sea mining continue in Jamaica this week, scientists fear the impacts of mining the seabed on the marine environment and wider climate, says the National Geographic Society Pristine Seas programme in a statement today.
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